Volunteer Opportunities in Ventura County

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Looking for a job? Why not help yourself by filling in the gaps in your resume with new experiences while helping others! Or if you are just looking to give back to the local community, there are hundreds of opportunities to volunteer throughout Ventura County. Here's where to find volunteer opportunities:

The United Way of Ventura County hosts www.VolunteerVenturaCounty.org, which lists numerous upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Since 1998, VolunteerMatch.org has helped volunteers find over 4 million volunteer matches at over 60,000 non-profits across the country.

Or visit the Local Charities section of Conejo Valley Guide and you'll find over 100 Ventura County area non-profit organizations, most of which could use your help. I clicked a few and found plenty of volunteer needs publicized on each entity's website, like MANNA Food Bank, L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue in Agoura, Hospice of the Conejo, Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library, and CareGivers - Volunteers Assisting the Elderly.

You could also join one of over 80 service organizations in the Service Clubs section of CVG. The Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimist, Assistance League, Lions Club and other organizations provide needed services to others in need. 

ActionVC is a non-profit that seeks volunteers to serve the vulnerable in our local community. www.actionvc.org/volunteer

Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County seeks volunteers at www.habitatventura.org/volunteer.

The Ventura County Resource Conservation District seeks volunteers to further its mission to conserve the natural resources of Ventura County at www.vcrcd.org/volunteer.

The Ventura County Medical Reserve Corps is a volunteer network that provides support for public health, emergency response, first aid services for local events and other local needs. www.venturacountymrc.org

Volunteer opportunities in Thousand Oaks: toaks.org/departments/human-resources/volunteer

Volunteer opportunities in Simi Valley: www.simivalley.org/index.aspx?page=355

Volunteer opportunities in Camarillo: www.cityofcamarillo.org/departments/city_manager/volunteers.php

Volunteer opportunities in Moorpark: moorparkca.gov/389/Volunteering-in-Moorpark

Volunteering in the City of Westlake Village: www.wlv.org/index.aspx?nid=320

Volunteering for the County of Ventura: hr.ventura.org/volunteer

How about the National Park Service? Check the local Santa Monica Mountains volunteer opportunities and Channel Islands National Park volunteer opportunities.

Also check out the volunteer opportunities with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. mrca.ca.gov/educational-outreach-programs/volunteer-2

And more links to volunteering opportunities:

Conejo Recreation and Park District www.crpd.org/support/volunteer

Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District www.pvrpd.org/volunteer

Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District www.rsrpd.org/recreation/volunteers.php

Los Robles Hospital volunteer opportunities for adults and high school students www.losrobleshospitalvolunteers.com

Thousand Oaks Library www.tolibrary.org/services/get-involved/library-volunteers

Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley www.bgcconejo.org/get-involved/volunteer

Food Share of Ventura County foodshare.com/volunteer

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo and Port Hueneme) www.oxnard.org/recreation/senior-services/rsvp-volunteer

St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo www.dignityhealth.org/central-coast/locations/pleasantvalley/about-us/volunteering

Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship in Newbury Park www.rideon.org/volunteer.php

Shelter Hope Pet Shop in Thousand Oaks shelterhopepetshop.org/help

Conejo Players Theatre in Thousand Oaks conejoplayers.org/volunteer

Rancho St. Francis in Newbury Park www.ranchostfrancis.org/Volunteers.htm

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Volunteers in Policing Program www.venturasheriff.org/volunteers/volunteers-in-policing

New West Symphony in Thousand Oaks newwestsymphony.org/volunteer

Conejo Free Clinic www.conejofreeclinic.org/volunteers

Interface Children & Family Services www.icfs.org/volunteer

Boys and Girls Clubs of Conejo Valley www.bgcconejo.org/get-involved/volunteer

Senior Concerns in Thousand Oaks seeks volunteers for its Adult Day Care Center, Meals on Wheels and other programs. www.seniorconcerns.org/volunteer

James Storehouse in Newbury Park seeks volunteers for its work supporting children in need. Visit www.jamesstorehouse.org/volunteer to apply.

Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara seeks volunteers cancersupportvvsb.org/about-us/volunteer-opportunities

Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency seeks volunteers for trail watch, trail work days, Adopt-a-Trail and more. conejo-openspace.org/about/volunteer-opportunities

The Conejo Senior Volunteer Program provides opportunities for adults age 55+ to use their life experience and skills to meet local community needs. www.crpd.org/programs-sports/conejo-senior-volunteer-program

School on Wheels seeks volunteers to tutor children experiencing homelessness. schoolonwheels.org/apply-to-be-a-volunteer

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary seeks volunteers ages 17 and up to join its local Channel Islands flotilla. Bring the USCG AUX your skills or join to develop your leadership skills through numerous free classes and workshops offered. The USCG AUX was established by Congress in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard in promoting boating safety. Volunteers assist the Coast Guard in non-law enforcement programs such as safety patrols, search and rescue, maritime security, vessel safety checks, public safe boating classes and watchstanding. Visit www.d11s.org to learn more.

Non-profit Step Up Tutoring seeks volunteers ages 16+ to tutor students online in underserved communities. Learn more at www.stepuptutoring.org/volunteer-tutor.

Veterans Day Services in Ventura County

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Veterans Day is celebrated as a Federal holiday on the 11th day of November in honor of those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Veterans Day coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I, which formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when Armistice with Germany took effect.

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Vietnam veteran David Stull stands guard while supporting a flagpole carrying the American flag at the Garden of Valor at Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village. This was one of three 30 minute shifts he stood guard. November 1984 photo by Scott Harrison/The News Chronicle

Back in the 1980s, Conejo Valley residents would observe a 24-hour vigil during the Veterans Day holiday. I took photos several times, but this 1984 photo at dusk remains my favorite. The current full name of Valley Oaks is Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park. The flame is still burning at the Garden of Valor.

Conejo Valley Meal and Shelter Program Providers

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Conejo Valley WINTER SHELTER ACTIVITIES ended 2020-2021. Instead of nightly sit-down meals and shelters, Harbor House hosts a daily lunch/meal program at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1 W. Avenida de los Arboles, between 4:45-5:30 pm. www.harborhouseto.org/daily-meal-program

Harbor House also provides rental assistance, case management, gas and electric assistance, showers and laundry service, and more.

Learn how you can volunteer, including preparing sack lunches, hot meals and other support for Harbor House at www.harborhouseto.org/volunteer

Make donations at www.harborhouseto.org/donate

More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Serving Jury Duty in Ventura County

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Jury duty in Ventura County is not so bad! Ventura County Jury service consists of one jury trial or one day of service in Ventura County. If you are not assigned to a courtroom at the end of your first day of appearance, you will have completed your service. Jury service is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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If you are summoned for duty, the night before your service you will be instructed to check online or to call after 4 p.m. for reporting instructions for the next day. If the "group number" you were assigned is called, you show up the next day.

If your group number has not been called by the end of your summoned week, your service will automatically be completed without having to appear. If this "call in" process is inconvenient, Ventura County Superior Court will allow you to schedule a firm date of appearance.

If you cannot perform jury service during the week you are summoned, you may reschedule for another time up to 90 days in the future. There’s one catch - if you reschedule, you will be required to appear on that rescheduled date. You will no longer be on call.

Hall of Justice Building

Hall of Justice Building

Jury trials in Ventura County average four days in length. The trial judge will advise jurors of the expected duration and may excuse prospective jurors from serving on a particular case if the service would amount to an extreme hardship.

Ventura County is one judicial district so all jurors are summoned to the county seat at the Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura for jury service. 

Get there early if you can. There is plenty of free parking but sometimes you have to walk a ways to get to the building. When entering the building you will be screened through a security device. Do not bring knives, scissors, handwork needles, metal fingernail files, tools, wallet chains, handcuff keys or any items that may possibly be used as a weapon.

The Jury Assembly Room has plenty of chairs, with some tables, electric plugs, etc. I highly recommend that you bring things to keep yourself busy...phone, laptop, magazines, newspaper, book, iPad, etc. They do have a TV available in one room but you'll want to bring something else to do too. There's also wireless internet access. For lunch and snacks, there is an in-house cafeteria as well as a variety of restaurants nearby.

No fees or mileage are paid for the first day of service. $15 per day and 34¢ per mile, one way from the juror’s home to the courthouse are paid for your second and additional days of service (as of November 2024; which is unchanged from the first time I checked in 2014).

[Jury duty fees are set by the California State Legislature, which consists of the 80 member California State Assembly and the 40 member California State Senate. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 215 sets the fees and mileage rate. Well guess what…it has been the same fee and mileage rate since July 2000. Cumulative inflation from 2000 to 2023 is 76%, which means the $15 would have grown to over $26. The IRS mileage rate for 2024 is 67¢ per mile, nearly double 34¢ per mile.. Might be time to write your local Assemblymember to address the issue.]

When I last served, the judge in my courtroom called us back the next day. We showed up and he subsequently cancelled the trial and we were excused to go home (or back to work). Two weeks later I received a check for $15 in jury fees and $7.82 in mileage from the Conejo Valley. YIPPEE!

Courtyard area in front of Hall of Justice building

Courtyard area in front of Hall of Justice building

Jury service is not voluntary, and there is no permanent excuse to serving. Any request for excuse must be submitted in writing. Any request to be excused from serving on a jury trial due to loss of income and/or business closure must be directed to a trial judge, only after you have appeared and have served one day as summoned. Unless notified in writing that your request for excuse is granted, you may assume it has been denied. If the date of appearance is not satisfactory, you may request a postponement to a future date within 90 days. When listing reasons such as medical, job, or dependent care issues, be prepared to receive a postponement and not an excuse.

For more information about Jury Service in Ventura County, visit www.ventura.courts.ca.gov/JuryService.

Daylight Saving Time Ends on the First Sunday of November

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Daylight Saving Time ends on the first Sunday of November each year in the U.S. (with the exception of Arizona and Hawaii). In 2024, that will be Sunday, November 3rd at 2 a.m.

At 1:59:59 a.m. on that Sunday, your clocks will revert back to 1 a.m. Yes! FALL BACK!! An extra hour of sleep!

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave us an extra month of DST by starting DST 3 weeks earlier and ending it one week later.

For my more precise readers, it is officially called Daylight Saving (not Savings) Time. So if you want to annoy your friends, correct them any time they call it Daylight SavingS time.

Also as one website I found mentioned, Daylight Saving Time is technically inaccurate, since we don't really gain daylight. It would more appropriately be called Daylight Shifting Time but I don't see that being a high priority initiative.

Before the adoption of standard time zones in the United States, cities, towns, and communities set their own local times based on the sun’s position. In 1883, railroad companies adopted a system of standard time to synchronize movement and trade across the nation. The U.S. adopted an official system of standard time in 1918.

The Standard Time Act of 1918 incorporated a DST mandate from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. Congress repealed the DST mandate in 1919. President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the repeal. Congress overrode his veto.

Beginning in 1920, DST was a local state/city option. Here’s the history of DST legislation in California:

1930: Prop 7 was but on the ballot to implement DST at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in April until 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in September. The initiative failed.

1940: Prop 5 was put on the ballot to implement DST. The initiative failed again.

1949: Third time’s a charm. This time it passed.

1962: Prop 6 was passed, which extended DST from the last Sunday in September to the last Sunday in October.

2018: Californians voted in favor of Proposition 7 by a margin of 59.75% to 40.25%. Voting in favor of the proposition allowed the California State Legislature to change the DST period by a 2/3rds vote and to establish permanent, year-round DST in California by a 2/3rds vote if federal law is changed to allow for permanent DST.

Why the holdup?

The holdup is at the federal level, not the state level: Voting yes on Prop 7 was just the first step in the process. California is one of 14 states that introduced legislation in 2019 to shift to permanent daylight saving time. States cannot move forward with permanent daylight saving time without authorization from the federal government.

H.R. 1556 “Sunshine Protection Act of 2019,” was introduced to the House in 2018 and 2019 but failed. It was reintroduced in 2021 as SB 623 and H.R. 69 as the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021. The bill would make DST the new, permanent standard time. States with areas exempt from DST may choose the standard time for those areas. SB 623 was passed by the Senate but the House bill died in committee

The Sunshine Protection Act of 2023 (H.R. 1279, SB 582) was introduced March 1, 2023 but as of October 2024 has gone nowhere.

Senior Adult Centers and Programs Throughout Ventura County

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Here is a list of senior centers and programs throughout Ventura County. For more extensive information about serving the needs of seniors, visit the County of Ventura Area Agency on Aging website at www.vcaaa.org

The Goebel Senior Center is located at 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, between the Thousand Oaks Teen Center and Grant R. Brimhall Library. Open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m, Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday noon to 4 p.m. The 21,000 sq ft facility offers classes, events, excursions, drop-in programs and more. The facility also has meeting rooms, kitchen/dining room, billiards room, putting green, horseshoe pits and more. Senior Nutrition Program 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. weekdays. Suggested donation $3 for ages 60+. Visit www.crpd.org/programs-sports/adults-seniors or call 805-381-2744.

The Simi Valley Senior Center at 3900 Avenida Simi is a 22,000 square foot enrichment and learning center for adults. The center provides learning programs, exercise classes, meal programs, health services, excursions, computer classes, book clubs, support groups, billiard room, social services, art classes and more. For ages 50+. The Rendezvous Café operates weekdays and offers hot lunch for a suggest donation of $3 for 60+ seniors and $8.25 for others (as of June 2024). Visit www.simivalley.org/departments/city-manager-s-office/community-programs-and-facilities/senior-center or call 805.583.6363.

The Pleasant Valley Senior Center is located at 1605 E. Burnley Street in Camarillo. The center is open M-F from 9am to 4pm and offers a variety of recreation and leisure program, a meal site for ages 60+ and social services for local residents. Programs and activities are not limited to Camarillo residents.

Visit www.pvrpd.org/senior-center or call 805.482.4881. More information on senior meal programs available from the Camarillo Health Care District at www.camhealth.com/senior-meals-program..

City of Oxnard Recreation and Community Services offers 3 senior centers. The Wilson Senior Center at 350 N. C Street is open M-F 10am to 4pm (805.385.8028), South Oxnard Senior Center at 200 East Bard Road is open M-F 8:15am to 2:15pm (805.385.8042) and Colonia Senior Center at 126-B Amelia Court, open M-F 8:30am to 2:30pm (805.385.8163). Visit www.oxnard.org/recreation/senior-services for more information.

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The Moorpark Active Adult Center is located at 799 Moorpark Avenue. The center is open M-F from 8am to 4pm and offers classes, programs and more to ages 55+. Home delivered meals available to local 60+ residents and meals offered for low cost at the center. Visit moorparkca.gov/200/Active-Adult-Center for more information or call 805.517.6261.

The City of Agoura Hills runs a Senior Recreation Program for ages 50+ at its Recreation Center, located at 30610 Thousand Oaks Blvd.  The program offers fitness, social, educational and other great events and activities. Visit https://www.agourahillscity.org/department/community-services-parks-recreation/senior-recreation-program or call 818.597.7366 for more information.

The City of Ventura Senior Services program offers computer, recreational, specialty, social, health and fitness programs to 50+ at the Ventura Avenue Adult Center, 550 N. Ventura Avenue, 805.648.3035, and satellite sites at the Salvation Army (east Ventura), Pacific View Mall, TowneHouse, Ventura College and YMCA. A Travel Program office and special events are held at the Senior Recreation Center, 420 E. Santa Clara St, 805.648.2829. Visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/669/Adult-Senior-Services for more information.

Ventura's Senior Lunch Program operates Monday through Friday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. $3 suggested price for ages 60 and up; $6.75 for others (as of January 2024). Nutritious hot entree with fresh fruit and vegetables plus special events. Westside Cafe located at the Ventura Avenue Adult Center, 550 N. Ventura Avenue. Call 805.648.3035 for more information.

The Santa Paula Senior Center is located at 530 W. Main Street and is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone is 805.933.4272. The center offers classes, card games and meal programs to seniors. spcity.org/403/Senior-Center

The City of Fillmore Active Adult Center is located at 535 Santa Clara Avenue and is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone is 805.524.4533. Meals, games, activities and classes are offered. www.fillmoreca.com/177/Active-Adult-Center

The Orvene S. Carpenter Community Center is located at 550 Park Avenue in Port Hueneme and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The city's Senior Nutrition Program offers meals to those in need and classes are offered. Visit www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us/facilities/facility/details/orvenescarpentercommunitycenter-2 or call 805.986.6542 for more information.

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The Little House Multipurpose Center in Ojai at 111 W. Santa Ana Street next to Ojai City Hall is run by Help of Ojai, Inc., a non-profit organization that has been serving the needs of Ojai's seniors since 1968. The center offers programs, services, recreation and meals. Visit www.helpofojai.org or call 805.646.5122 for more information.

And for thousands of classes each year specifically geared towards seniors, check out THESE LINKS to community recreation programs throughout Ventura County.

Ventura County Area Crime Maps Online

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The Ventura County Sheriff's Office serves the County of Ventura and five contract cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks. There is a wealth of information on the VC Sheriff's website at www.venturasheriff.org, including phone numbers for patrol stations.

One tool available that shows recent crimes in these jurisdictions is located at CrimeMapping.com, a website that provides information, in map format about crimes committed on a rolling 180 day basis.

To use CrimeMapping.com, simply go to the site and type in a location - address, landmark or zip code. From there, you’ll see a map of crimes reported over the most recent week, which is the default time frame. You can change this time frame using filters on the site, up to 180 days’ worth of data. Here’s what the map looked like over a 180 day period:

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You can learn more about individual crimes by clicking the icons on the map. Crimes include arson, assault, burglary, disturbing the peace, drug/alcohol violations, DUI, fraud, homicide, auto theft, robbery, sex crimes, theft/larceny, vandalism, vehicle break-in and weapons.

The number 3 in a red circle in the image above indicates multiple records. I clicked it and there were 2 possession of a controlled substance - one in the 300 block of Hillcrest Drive on July 17th at 1:30pm and the other in the 2400 block of Hillcrest Drive on July 17th at 12:30pm. The third violation was fraudulent use of access card on April 1st at midnight.. Note that exact addresses are not provided; they report as specific as block number.

The first icon at the bottom right side of the image was an assault (battery) in the 2200 block of E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard at 10:05am on August 7th.

You may also create alerts on the CrimeMapping site that are sent to you via email. Click “Receive Alerts,” choose location (city, landmark, address or zip) and search distance (ranges from 500 feet to 2 miles).